January 30, during a glamorous gala in Transcolor studio near Warsaw, for the seventh time the prestigious awards „The Personality of the Year” were given. Prizes were awarded in the competition organized by the MICE Poland magazine. This year’s award in the category „Manager of a venue” received Żaneta Berus, CEO of EXPO XXI Warszawa and a Memebr of the EBC Poland Awards Jury.
„Personality of the Year” award is a great honor for me and at the same time the culmination of all the efforts, initiatives and projects to support the development of the MICE industry, carried out for nearly twenty years of my work. I have to say it was a time full of challenges, but also satisfaction of the creation of new standards and best practices for the entire meetings industry. On one hand, in my every day work with professional organizations such as the Association of the Event Industry and Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry, I strive to integrate the MICE industry and to promote Poland, as an interesting tourist and business destination. On the other hand the EXPO XXI Warszawa, with which I am associated for 14 years, has increased its surface and modernized the offer, built a reliable team of specialists and partnered with the organizers of big international events, thus promoted to the rank of the most well-known facility in Warsaw. Now is the time for the activation of cooperation between facilities like EXPO XXI Warszawa, event organizers, and local authorities. I believe that the Polish meetings industry is the best ambassador of our country abroad and, therefore, I set such a goal for myself for the next few months. I take this prize as a good augury to continue a hard work. –commented Żaneta Berus.
The idea behind „Personality of the Year” contest is to honor the people who have shown a special commitment to the development of the MICE industry in Poland in the past year. Nominees are distinguished by their professionalism in action, creativity, business efficiency, application of the principles of professional ethics, high quality services, contribution to the integration and development of the industry – also through their membership in organizations and associations – as well as the high competences, confirmed by certificates and awards. The winners receive a statuette and the title of „Personality of the Year” in four categories: Principal, Organizer, Manager of a venue and Subcontractor. „Personality of the Year” contest is the only project in Poland in which candidates for the award are nominated directly through the participants of the industry. Each company, agency, organization and association may, through a special form, nominate three persons for the prize. After counting the votes, 10 people who received the highest score in each category, goes to the second stage. The selection of the final winners is made by the Jury, whose members are selected from the laureates of the previous editions of the contest, representatives of associations and professional organizations, as well as external experts appointed by the organizer.
